Self-acting brake for carriages



. z. c. ROBBINS.

Carriag-Brake,

No. 4,569. Patented. June 1 3, 1,846.

Z. G. ROBBINS,

OF ST. LOUIS,

MISSOURI.

SELF-ACTING BRAKE FOR CARRIAGES.

Specification of Letters Patent No, 4,569, dated June 13, 1846,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ZENAS G. ROBBINS, of the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented a new and improved selfacting and self-adjusting carriage-brake for retarding the motion of carriages and other vehicles in descending inclinations; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification.

The nature of my invention consists in constructing a carriage brake in such a manner that when it is desired to back the carriage, the brake can easily be disconnected from the shafts of the same, and the rubbers prevented from acting on the wheels; and the moment the shafts are drawn forward, the brake resets itself in its proper position for acting upon the wheels at the first hill the carriage descends.

The accompanying drawing is a perspective elevation of a four wheeled vehicle, having my improved brake attached to it-a part of the body of the vehicle being removed, for the purpose of showing more clearly the construction and operation of the brake.

The rubbers 2', 2', of my improved brake may be constructed in any well known or usual manner. The rubbers 2', 2, are connected to levers descending from each end of a. horizontal shaft gpassing transversely across under the center of the vehicle, secured in bearings h, h, bolted to the under side of the frame of the same. From the center of the shaft 9, there descends a lever 70, having a mortise or slot at its lower end. The draft shafts are connected to the brake shaft 9, through the medium of a cross bar 0, and a connecting rod 2%, in such a manner that when the horse presses back the draft shafts against the vehicle, for retarding its motion in descending an inclination, they force the rubbers 2', 2', on the brake shaft against the wheelsthereby checking the forward tendency of the vehicle-and aiding the horse in holding the same. The draft shafts are secured to sliding boxes at, a, which pass through mortises in the forward axle of a vehicle or are secured to the lower side of the axle by metalliocaps Z), Z ,in such a manner as to give them free play, backward and forward. The rear end of the shaft boxes a, a, are made fast to the cross bar 0, immediately in the rear of the forward axle. The cross bar 0, is connected to the lever 70, and brake shaft 9, by the connecting rod 772-. The connecting rod m, is attached to the lever is, in such a manner that the brake shaft 9, can be readily thrown out of connection with the draft shafts, when it is desired to back the vehicle; and to reset itself in connection with the brake shaft and rubbers, and the draft shafts, the instant that the shafts are drawn forward. The connecting rod 2%, passes through a mortise or slot in the lower end of the lever 70, it has at its rear end a downward projection or hook r, and a short distance in front of the same, there is a shoulder 3, when the recess between the shoulder s, and hook r, of the connecting rod is resting in the mortise at the lower end of the lever 70, the draft shafts are inconnection with the brake shaft and rubbers. When the shafts are forced back the shoulder s, on the connection rod m, presses against the bottom of the lever is, turning the brake shaft 9, and forces the rubbers 2, 2', against the wheels; when the shafts are drawn forward again, the hook 1", on the connecting rod m, strikes against the bottom of the lever k, and draws forward the same, at the same time drawing the rubbers from the wheels.

When it is desired to disconnect the draft shafts from the rubbers and brake shaft, for the purpose of preventing the rubbers from acting on the wheels in backing the vehicle; the driver has only to raise the rear end of the connecting rod m, which allows the shoulder s, to slide through the mortise in the leveris, and prevents its acting on the rubbers when the shafts are forced back; p

.ranged in such a manner as to be operated by the hand or foot.

Having thus fully described my self acting and self adjusting carriage brake, What the brake shaft, and when the shafts are 10 I claim as my invention and desire to secure drawn forward again the connecting rod by Letters Patent, is (172,) resets itself, making a perfect connec- The combination of the draft shafts with tion between the draft shafts and brake the brake shaft (9,) by means of the conshaft, substantially as herein set forth.

necting rod (17%,) and lever (70,) so operat ZENAS C. ROBBINS. ing with each other that by lifting the rear Witnesses:

end of the connecting rod (m,) the draft HAZARD KNowLs,

shafts can be forced back Without acting on J. M. THAYER. 

